JOPLIN, Mo. — NCAA Division II Softball postseason play has begun, and having a hot start were the fourth-seeded Muleriders, as Southern Arkansas took on the fifth-seeded St. Cloud State Huskies for the opening round of the NCAA DII Central Regional in South Missouri.
In the first round of the regional, Team 28's bats were electric, as the group scored nine runs with 15 hits against the nation's third-best pitching staff in the nation, as the group averaged a 1.79 earned run average heading into the regional. The Muleriders' defense took care of business as well, with the unit holding the Huskies to just two runs, even after allowing seven hits.
Central Regional vs. St. Cloud State | W, 9-2
Making a return to the NCAA DII postseason, and her first time in the Blue and Gold, Emma Duncan recorded her 35th start of the season, and claimed win number 29 after pitching 5.0 innings, in which she surrendered seven hits, two runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. To close the game out, Kassie Rhodes took the circle for the final 2.0 innings, in which we allowed no hits, runs, walks, and accounted for three strikeouts.
To start the outing, the Huskies got the hot start, following a two-out walk. Following that two-out trot to first, SCSU hit a two-run home run for the units lone two runs of the contest, 2-0.
Southern Arkansas countered right back in the bottom of the first, as Maddie Leal led off with a single and was then followed by a Sophia Luetticke single and Leal advanced to third. After two outs, Luetticke stole second and Paris Endris then singled to bat in Leal and Luetticke to tie the outing, 2-2.
The Muleriders tacked on another run in the top of the second, as Payton Owens led off with a solo dinger, and was followed by three-straight ground out, 3-2.
In the bottom of the third, SAU led off with Luetticke getting hit by a pitch, but after the first out of the frame, Luetticke was then caught stealing at second. Up next came Regan Dillon, as the senior hit a solo bomb over the centerfield wall to double the group's lead, 4-2.
After a scoreless fourth, Team 28 put it on the Huskies with a four-spot in the bottom of the fifth, as Luetticke led off with a double following St. Cloud having a pitching change. Then came America Rubio with a single, which advanced Sophia to second. Luetticke went on to score on the play following an error by the pitcher which also shifted Ame to second, 5-2. Kelsie Adams then came in to pinch run for Rubio, and after a ground out, Endris grounded out too, but not without Adams advancing to third. Brooklyn Reed followed with a drawn walk, and went to second after Owens singled to bat in Adams, 6-2. AvaMarie Perry then batted in Reed with a single, propelling Owens to second, 7-2. After Briana Jones came in to pinch run for Owens, and was batted in with a Peyton Raley single, 8-2.
Southern Arkansas scratched across one more run, which came in the bottom of the sixth, as Dillon singled with one out. Leigha Gilbert then came in to pinch run for her and advanced to second on a Paris Endris ground out. Reed came back to the plate and doubled to bat in Gilbert for the final run of the contest, 9-2.
Up Next:
Team 28 now looks towards the winner's bracket, as the Muleriders will compete against the top-seeded, and host, Missouri Southern State Lions (49-7). The two groups met earlier this season, in which MSSU defeated SAU 8-0 in five innings. In that game, the Blue and Gold batted right with the Lions, as both recorded eight hits. The Muleriders downfall came along with the group having ten runners left on base in the outing. Southern Arkansas faced the Lions in last season's Central Regional, hosted in Magnolia, as Missouri Southern ended up delivering the final blow to SAU's postseason run. MSSU comes off a 6-5 win against eighth-seeded, and NSIC Tournament Champs, Augustana.
